Plane Crash (1993/4)
On the 30th December 1993 the sleepy village of Beckindale suffered its biggest disaster when an Eastern European airliner plummeted from the sky and crashed on the village. The plane crash is regarded as Emmerdale's biggest disaster storyline. The plane itself was flying over Britain from Eastern Europe on its way to Canada when it exploded over Beckindale. Fireballs shot down from the sky and much of the village lay in ruins. Fires and explosions ripped through cottages, main roads were blocked, black smoke was everywhere, Beckindale's green and pleasent land was engulfed in flames and chemicals and debris. All 250 people on the plane plus 9 villagers including Archie Brooks, Mark Hughes, Leonard Kempinski and Elizabeth Pollard were killed and Chris Tate was left paralysed. Events The new horse stables at Home Farm, owned by the Tate family suffered the first hit. A huge burning piece of wreckage fell down and the fireball erupted at the front of the stables exploding into the stables beyond. Nick Bates and Archie Brooks were walking back to Demdyke Row on one of the moors on the edge of the village. In fact Archie had walked out of The Woolpack in protest after a row with Seth Armstrong. Nick followed him. As he saw Archie at the top of the hill he called him but their attention was drawn by a huge rumbling noise and the sky lit up. Nick was blinded by aviation fuel. Archie was knocked back by a wall of flame and then a huge explosion followed as a fireball erupted on the hill, exploding. Archie was engulfed in flames and vapourised. Meanwhile inside the Woolpack landlord Alan Turner was hositing a Dickensian Evening and was about to do a reading to the customers who also came in fancy dress when his and their attention was stopped by a huge rumbling noise which was getting louder. The power failed then the windows the the pub blew in as flames shot through into the pub sending many of the customers falling to their feet. Joe Sugden was driving his mother Annie and stepfather Leonard Kempinski down a country lane in the village on their way to Leeds Airport. Annie's attention was drawn to a huge yellow glow coming from across the moor towards the village. A burning wing piece from the plane came hurtling towards the Land Rover. Joe swerved to avoid it but went crashing into the ditch. Back at the stables of Home Farm, Frank Tate, Kim Tate and Viv and Vic Windsor were using water from the trough to try and put out the fires. A huge explosion in the opposite field drew Frank's attention to it. The horses in the stables were burning and crying out loudly in panic. Vic and Viv's children Scott, Kelly and Donna had run to safety with Samson the horse who was not in the stables at the time when the fireball struck. It then rained flowers. Back in the village, the Mc Allister family, who had arrived in the village a few weeks before, were looking on outside their front door at the explosions and fires that were ripping through houses in the village. Bernard McAllister decided he had to go and find out what was going on. Meanwhile on the moors just outside the village, Nick Bates, blinded by aviation fuel was wandering aimlessly around shouting for Archie. He then fell into a crater formed by the force of a huge piece of wreckage from the plane hitting thr ground. The Home Farm stables continued to burn. Frank Tate told Kim to stay out of the stables and not try and rescue the horses. He then went down to the village to see if Chris and Zoe were alright. Jack and Sarah Sugden stood outside their farmhouse, Hawthorn Cottage and looked on in shock at the fires and explosions that were ripping through Beckindale. Sarah asked Jack what the disaster was in which Jack replied "I dont know but its mysterous". Jack said he had to go and find out what it was. Frank Tate drove down the Hotten Road into the village towards Main Street. He passed a half demolishes burning house on his left and burning cars, fallen lampposts and looked up at the shattered windows of the cottages. He parked in front of The Woolpack. Episodes which covered the plane crash *Episode 1829 (30th December 1993) *Episode 1830 (4th January 1994) *Episode 1831 (5th January 1994) *Episode 1832 (6th January 1994) Aftermath *The morning after, 31st December 1993, the army as well as many ambulance men, firemen and police officers scoured through the wreckage for clues as to how the plane crash happened. The local village hall became a temporary shelter and the area was cordoned off. Many residents were taken to Hotten General Hospital for treatment for injuries sustained by wreckage or for shock. The bodies of Elizabeth Pollard, Leonard Kempinski and Mark Hughes were found. Elizabeth's was found in a field surrounded by plane debris and Mark's was found in the rubble of Whiteley's Cottage, still clinging to the hoover he was returning to Lynn. Nick Bates, blinded by aviation fuel, was found and hospitalised and Chris Tate was airlifted to hospital. As was Annie Sugden. Alice Bates was found alive among the rubble of Demdyke Row and this was said to be a miracle. *In January 1994, the ruined remains of Demdyke Row were demolished, as was the rubble from the wine bar. Whiteley's Farm's charred remains were demolished as was the cottage on Hotten Road and Kim's Stables. Elizabeth Pollard, Mark Hughes and Leonard Kempinski were buried in the churchyard a few weeks after the disaster. Archie Brooks body was never recovered but as he had been hit by a fireball, he is presumed to have been vapourised by the flames and jet fuel. The spot was known as Archie's Hill. The 250 bodies from the plane itself were sent back to their home country in Eastern Europe for burial. Village buildings destroyed in the plane crash *Demdyke Row - Hit by a fireball which destroyed much of the terrace. *Kim's Stables, Home Farm - Hit by a fireball. *The Woolpack Wine Bar Annexe - Hit by a fireball and destroyed. *Whiteley's Farm - Hit by a fireball. *Cottage, Hotten Road, Beckindale - Hit by wreckage. Long term effects *Chris Tate was confined to a wheelchair after being trapped in the rubble of the wine bar after a fireball hit it. *Throughout January and February 1994, looters and sightseers descended upon the village after the plane crash put it on the map. So in May 1994, the village was renamed Emmerdale as a tribute to the Sugden's farm and to try and erase the memory of the tragic accident. *In 1995, Zak Dingle wanted to scour the fields with a metal detector for plane wreckage. Memorable info Notes Gallery Emmerdale-plane-150x150.jpg|Frank watches as a fireball comes down out of nowhere. Emmie kims stables plane crash.png|The fireball erupts over Kims Stables. Emmie plane crash home farm.jpg|The fireball explodes into the stables. Emmie archie blown up plane crashh.png|A fireball from the plane kills Archie Brooks. Emmie plane crash woolpack.jpg|The Woolpack is hit by plane wreckage. Emmie joe sugden plane crash.png|Wreckage causes Joe Sugden to crash his Land Rover. Emmie explosion field plane crash.png|Wreckage explodes near Kim's Stables. Emmie hotten road plane crash.png|The village is on fire from the plane wreckage. Emmie plane crash nick bates falling into hole.png|Nick Bates is blinded by aviation fuel. Emmie whiteleys cottage plane crash.png|Whiteley's Cottage is hit, killing Mark Hughes. Emmie morning after plane crash.png|The morning after, Chris Tate is freed from Woolpack wine bar wreckage. Category:Major Emmerdale storylines.